Oregon Ducks Basketball

Only a short while ago Anthony Bennett had Florida, Kentucky, Oregon, UNLV and Washington fans hoping he would commit to their team.

Bennett eliminated Washington, and in a surprising move, removed both Kentucky and Florida from his list. While UNLV seems to be the obvious favorite of the remaining two, Oregon could use a player like Bennett far more next season.

There have been concerns raised over whether Bennett will even be academically eligible, but, assuming that he is, Bennett would be a big win for the Ducks. While likely to be a one-and-done player, Bennett would add serious talent to a squad that is losing a lot after last season.

That loss includes five seniors, three of which were among Oregon's top four scorers. 

The Ducks do have E.J. Singler returning, who in his third year averaged 13.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. Oregon is also bringing in three Rivals 3-star recruits and 4-star Dominic Artis.

Artis was a teammate of Bennett at Findlay Prep. 

But will that be enough?

The Pac-12 looks to make a huge turn around next season with both UCLA and Arizona bringing in some of the best recruiting classes in the NCAA. UCLA landed 4-star recruits Tony Parker and Jordan Adams, along with 5-star recruits Kyle Anderson and Shabazz Muhammad. 

Arizona is bringing in 4-star recruit Gabe York along with 5-star recruits Brandon Ashley, Grant Jerrett and Kaleb Tarczewski. Added to this group, the Wildcats seemed to have solved their point guard issues by getting Xavier transfer Mark Lyons. 

Last season’s Pac-12 regular season champion, Washington, will return a lot of familiar faces including C.J. Wilcox, Abdul Gaddy, Aziz N’Diaye and Scott Suggs among others. ESPN ranks the 2012 Pac-12 Conference tournament champion, Colorado, with a top-25 recruiting class, including 4-star recruits Josh Scott and Xavier Johnson.

The 2012 NIT Champion, Stanford, will be returning most of its key players and bringing in some talent, including 4-star recruit Rosco Allen.

The Ducks finished the 2011-12 regular season tied for second along with Cal in the Pac-12. A player like Bennett could help Oregon stay in the front of the Pac-12, which looks to be toughing up quite a bit this coming season.

In return, Bennett is likely to get a lot of playing time at Oregon. And for a player likely wanting a quick exit to the NBA, the new Pac-12 network should help in getting mass exposure. Not to mention what it could do for his draft stock if Bennett could help Oregon be competitive against teams like UCLA and Arizona. 

In a year in which the strength of the Pac-12 conference has been described by numerous media outlets as being at a historic low, the top teams in the conference continue to roll through opponents in the 2012 NIT.

No. 3 seed Oregon defeated No. 7 seed Iowa, in Sunday’s second-round game in Eugene. The Ducks had previously beat LSU, 96-76, in the NIT first round. Oregon will now face the Washington Huskies in Tuesday’s NIT quarterfinals matchup (6 p.m. Pacific), the winner of which will go on to the semifinals at Madison Square Garden on March 27.

Click here for an official printable 2012 NIT bracket. For an online 2012 NIT bracket with up-to-date scores click here.

Iowa (18-17), meanwhile, finished the regular season tied for seventh in the Big Ten along with Northwestern. Washington defeated Northwestern, 76-55, in the second round of the 2012 NIT.

The Hawkeyes played eight AP top 25 teams this year, with a win-loss record in those games of 4-4. Iowa beat Wisconsin when the Badgers were ranked both No. 11 and No. 16. Iowa also beat then-No. 13 Michigan, and then-No. 18 Indiana.

Oregon trailed Iowa in the first half of the NIT second-round game by as much as 15 points. The Ducks were able to reduce Iowa’s lead down to four points at the half. In the second half the Ducks shot 72 percent, including making seven of 11 three-point attempts. Oregon took and held on to the lead with 11:44 to play, beating Iowa 108-97.

This was the sixth encounter between Oregon and Iowa, and Oregon’s second-round NIT win marked the Ducks’ first win against Iowa in six meetings. The game was the Ducks' highest scoring game, and first over 100 points this season.

With a total score of 205, it was also the highest scoring regulation game in Division I this season. The last time the Ducks scored as much was in a 108-67 win over UC Riverside in 2002. 

Oregon's E.J. Singler scored 25 points, Olu Aschaolu and Carlos Emory scored 22 and 19 points, respectively. Devoe Joseph and Garrett Sim both scored 15 points.

The Oregon-Washington 2012 NIT quarterfinals game will take place in Seattle. Oregon lost in Seattle 76-60 earlier this season, while the Ducks beat the Huskies at home 82-57 this season.

Oregon (24-9,13-5), along with Cal, finished the regular season one game behind the Huskies (23-10, 14-4), who were the Pac-12 regular-season champions. 

The Oregon-Washington game promises to be a good match between two Pac-12 rivals. The stakes of are high, with a trip to New York City and the NIT semifinals on the line. 

Devoe Joseph may have only played one year with the Oregon Ducks, but in his 25 games this season he not only helped his new team make a splash in the Pac-12 Conference, he also bolstered his stat line as he prepares to make a push towards the NBA level.

Joseph, who originally committed to the Minnesota Gophers, was a 4-star recruit and was touted as the 10th-best shooting guard in his entire recruiting class.

Despite playing well at times, Joseph never stood out as much of a superstar guard during his stint with the team. Averaging only 7.7 points per game throughout his time with Minnesota, Joseph played behind the team's senior leaders and faced an early-season suspension in 2010.

After three seasons with the Gophers, Joseph made his transfer to Oregon and became an instant impact player who helped shape the season for the Ducks.

The question here, though, has to be whether or not Joseph's transfer ultimately helped himself as a potential NBA prospect.

Joseph won't appear on many mock drafts at this point in the NBA season, but a transfer to Oregon was just what the 6'4" shooting guard needed to elevate his game to a new level during his senior year.

Joe Buri of TC Huddle predicted that Joseph's switch would do little—if anything—for his draft stock, stating that his stats should "remain largely unchanged—25 minutes per game, 11 ppg, and a 40% field goal percentage."

After sitting the early part of the season, Joseph entered his first game as a Duck and led the team in scoring with 18 points, shot 46.2 percent from the field and recorded four assists in nearly 30 minutes off the bench. 

Over the course of his entire college career, Joseph has averaged just under 10 points per contest, but his only year with the Ducks stands out with a 16.6 point-per-game average. 

His efficiency increased as well, as his 47.2 field-goal percentage was the third best on the team and easily the highest of his career.

Very few players can develop while being one-dimensional at the next level, and while Joseph isn't considered a great defensive threat, he did record 1.4 steals per game—the highest on the team this year.

Beyond statistics, Joseph simply looks as if he is on a different level than most of his teammates, as the current Oregon roster is not likely to produce many NBA prospects.

He has a step-back jumper, can create his own shot and finished the season second on the team in three-point shooting—all things that NBA scouts look for at the shooting-guard position.

The Ducks had a different look this season with Joseph leading the way, as the team improved to 22-9, earning the third spot in the Pac-12 Conference—a vast improvement from the 21-18 record and seventh place finish last season.

If nothing else, Joseph emerged as a leader for the Ducks this season.

Despite coming off the bench early in his Oregon career, Joseph worked his way into the starting lineup after just two games with the Ducks.

By the time the season was over, Joseph averaged a team-high in points and played nearly five more minutes per game than any other player on the team.

While his leadership can be found during late-game situations, it can also be shown in losses like the one the Ducks endured Thursday to the Colorado Buffaloes.

Although the Ducks came up one point short in their matchup against Colorado, Joseph led the team with eight rebounds, four assists and was second on the team in scoring with 12 points. He also played the most minutes of any other Oregon player with 39.

What was probably most impressive, though, was what the senior leader told the Associated Press following his failed attempt at a game-winning three-pointer.

"The whole play came down on me, and I took a bad shot," he said. "I should have been more aggressive and driven to the basket."

Without making excuses, Joseph took the blame for missing the shot.

That recognition of a need to improve—mixed with the confidence of a player who surely believes he can score at any point throughout a game—is going to help boost him in the right direction in his post-Oregon career.

While he has not made his way into the spotlight just yet, Joseph managed to take his game to the next level and was named to the Pac-12's All-Conference First Team this season.

If he can devote himself to further developing an already improved game, Joseph could wind up being a nice surprise for some team come next year's NBA season.

Overall, it was another disappointing year for Pac-12 basketball. The conference finished with zero teams ranked in the top 25, and it looks like two or three teams at most will get an NCAA Tournament bid. 

Pac-12 teams went a combined 0-12 against top 25 teams this season, the first time the conference has gone winless against ranked opponents.

The top four teams in the conference, each of which has earned a first-round bye in the Pac-12 Tournament, are really the only teams with a legit chance to win it.

Washington, California, Oregon and Arizona all finished with at least 21 conference wins and will anxiously await their Thursday opponents. Many have pegged Washington and Cal as the favorites to win the tourney and as the only two teams to get NCAA Tournament invites. 

All season long I have been a believer in the Ducks, and here's why they'll play their way to their first NCAA Tournament since 2008.

Second-year head coach Dana Altman has turned the program around since day one, compiling a 43-26 record thus far. He's one of the best coaches in the game and has a history of turning teams around. He took Creighton from 7-19 to 18-10 three years later as well as led the Bluejays to seven NCAA tourney appearances in 12 seasons, including five straight.

In 22 years as a head coach, Altman has taken his team to a postseason tournament in all but five seasons, and Oregon is poised to make another postseason birth in 2012.

In 2011, Oregon won the CBI championship over Creighton.

Oregon typically starts three seniors and two juniors, making a very experienced and talented lineup. Senior Garrett Sim is one of just three players remaining from the Ernie Kent era, as he, senior Jeremy Jacob and junior E.J. Singler have played a lot of games together and have built great chemistry.

Senior transfer Devoe Joseph has been the team's MVP for this season, leading the team in scoring and steals while shooting 44.5 percent from behind the three-point line and earning first-team all-conference honors. When Joseph gets hot, he and the Ducks are impossible to contain. He can pull up and hit jump shots with hands in his face and is very reliable at the charity stripe and in clutch situations.

Oregon also has a solid bench. Transfers Olu Ashaolu and Carlos Emory have provided depth and athleticism in reserve roles for the Ducks, both of whom have come alive as of late and should carry their momentum into the Pac-12 Tournament.

With the exception of Cal, Oregon has defeated each conference team at least once this season, and they have yet to lose two straight games. They have the ability to be incredibly streaky, carrying a four-game winning streak into the postseason, their fourth such streak this year. The Ducks are also exceptional with little rest, going 3-0 in their stretch of back-to-backs this season.

When Oregon had two games in three days, they were victorious in both games five times, and in one game the other three occasions. They're primed for tournament play and have the necessary pieces and head coach to win the Pac-12 Tournament and earn a spot in the big dance, where you can bet they'll be a tough out. They have a fast, athletic, smart and disciplined team that can shoot lights out.

The Ducks have come a long way since the start of the season and know what they have to do to earn an NCAA Tournament bid.  

With their bid into the Big Dance hanging on the line, the Oregon Ducks are going to need a huge performance from transfer-star Devoe Joseph in this year's Pac-12 tournament.

The Ducks right now are heading into this tourney as the third overall seed, but it will take a few wins, and perhaps as much as an automatic bid for the team to actually lock up a spot in this year's tournament.

With the regular season all wrapped up, the Ducks stand at 22-8 going into this tournament, and they have relied heavily on the play of Joseph.

He is averaging 16.8 points per game this season, but is coming off of some extremely good results in his few games against Pac-12 opponents.

The two opponents that the Ducks could get in their first game our either the Colorado Buffaloes or Utah Utes, two teams that he went off on for 24 and 21 points respectively.

He shot for a combined 62.5 percent in those games, and things look promising for him going into this tournament with one of those two teams being his potential matchup to get his Pac-12 tournament underway.

The next round could be promising as well, but even more so if the team gets the Cal Golden Bears. 

In one of the final games of the season, Joseph went off for 33 points against the Golden Bears, but the team failed to capture an important road win as they fell 86-83.

While this game will once again be in California, this potential match up gives Joseph a shot at redemption.

If the team can come up with wins in these first two rounds, they will have a real shot at getting a bid into the Big Dance.

It isn't out of the picture either that they couldn't take the whole thing, given that other Pac-12 teams such as the Washington Huskies and Arizona Wildcats are not unbeatable, especially if the team can come away with a victory over Cal in the semifinals.

No matter who they are taking on, the most important thing is that Joseph continues to play at a high level.

If he drops off at all during this tournament, the whole team can find themselves in trouble.

Jeff Chase is a Featured Columnist for the Chicago Cubs and Arizona State football.
Follow @Real_Jeff_Chase

With the exception of the three-year-old College Basketball Invitational, the Oregon Ducks and Oregon State Beavers have been irrelevant in college hoops lately.

Each team has one CBI title—OSU in 2009, UO in 2011—giving each team the honor of being the 101st-best team in the country in those years. They both finished right behind the 68 teams in the NCAA tournament and the 32 in the NIT.

But they are both tourney champions.

This year, the Ducks have a shot at making The Dance. Heading into Sunday's Civil War in Eugene, the Ducks are tied with the California Golden Bears at 6-2 atop the Pac-12 standings.

The Beavers are no slouches themselves. They lead the Pac-12 in scoring, averaging 82.7 points per game. That's No. 5 in the nation.

Even though Oregon State is struggling in conference play at 3-5, the Beavs still have a winning record at 13-7. By beating the Ducks and winning the rest of their home games, they’ll be at 19-11, leaving them firmly on the bubble for the NCAA tournament.

At 15-5 overall, Oregon is also in position to earn an NCAA bid by taking care of business down the stretch.

A win over its rival would move Oregon four games from the prestigious 20-win plateau. Two games against Utah (5-14, 2-5) and a home game against Washington State (11-8, 3-4) should equate to three more wins. With one win in its remaining six games, the Ducks get to 20 and likely earn a bid.

Not since 1990 have both teams qualified for the postseason in the same year.

In '90, the Gary Payton-led Beavers were a No. 5 seed but lost to Ball State by one point in the first round.

The Ducks also had a future-NBA point guard in 1990: Terrell Brandon. But Brandon couldn't lead his team to a postseason win either, as Oregon lost to New Mexico in the opening round of the NIT.

That makes this weekend’s 336th meeting—the most of any rivalry, according to The Oregonian's Paul Buker—one of the most interesting in recent years.

The game should be a good one with two rejuvenated programs. And it just might include two teams destined to play in the postseason while skipping the familiar confines of the CBI.

With Aaron Brooks playing for the Chinese Basketball Association’s Guangdong Southern Tigers until March, only two former Oregon Ducks are playing in the Association.

Minnesota Timberwolves veteran point guard Luke Ridnour is putting up solid numbers while splitting time with rookie point guard Ricky Rubio.

In his eighth year, Ridnour is averaging 12.5 points and 3.4 assists per game while shooting better than 50 percent. Those numbers are in line with what he did during his three successful years at the University of Oregon, when he led the Ducks to an appearance in the Elite Eight.

The other Duck making a splash in the NBA is more of a surprise. In fact, the college listed on his NBA.com profile is Cal State San Bernardino. That’s because Ernie Kent booted him from the UO program after his one season as a Duck.

During that season—2005-06—his numbers weren’t outstanding. He averaged 7.5 points and 3.2 rebounds while playing 16.1 minutes per game. Those numbers are still somewhat underwhelming today while playing power forward for the Atlanta Hawks: 4.6 points and 3.4 rebounds in 14 minutes per game.

That he’s the only player off that team playing in the NBA is phenomenal. The team was loaded with talent—guys like Brooks (who will be Steve Nash’s understudy when he returns to the Phoenix Suns), Maarty Leunen, Malik Hairston and Bryce Taylor.

Johnson showed flashes of brilliance while roaming the paint at Mac Court. He had tremendous athleticism in his 6’8”, 255-pound frame, posterizing players all year and doing it with a nasty demeanor.

Unfortunately for Johnson, his nastiness wasn't only on the court. His problems in Eugene were with his attitude. According to Mike Rice in last night’s Trail Blazers-Hawks telecast, he still has issues with his temperament. Atlanta management was willing to overlook his hot-headed temper and signed him on Dec. 9, 2011.

After going undrafted out of Cal State San Bernardino, he found himself playing in the NBA D League in 2007-08. After some time playing overseas, he wound up back in the D League for the 2010-11 season, when he earned first team All D-League honors. His numbers were much improved from those he put up as a Duck: 22.6 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.8 steals per game.

With a win over the Virginia Cavaliers this week, Oregon could jump-start their season and make a run at the NCAA tournament. 

With the Ducks coming into the game with a 6-2 record, this is certainly possible. 

While this year there are currently no teams in the Pac-12 ranked in either poll, non-conference games are going to be critical this year.

The only marquee victory Oregon has this year is over Nebraska, a Big Ten school. While to the blind eye this does not look overly impressive, the Big Ten is no slouch when it comes to college basketball. Neither is the ACC, where Virginia hails from. 

Point being, a victory over a member of the ACC conference could propel the Ducks into conference play and into the tournament. 

The confidence gained from defeating two opponents from power conferences is immeasurable. In addition, it is a great resume builder for a team that could finish in the top three in a weak conference, to prove they have what it takes to compete in the tournament. 

The great thing about this is, it could happen. 

Oregon's game has been elevated by the senior transfer from Minnesota, Devoe Joseph, who averages 15.5 points and five assists per game. In addition, there is good play in the frontcourt with junior forward, E.J Singler, who averages 13 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. Both players are going to need to have great games and great seasons if there is any chance Oregon will make the tournament.  

The game is held at Matthew Knight Arena, which could give the Ducks that little spark to win the game. 

So far Dana Altman has succeeded expectations. Let's see if he can lead the Ducks to the big show. 

Tony Woods is transferring to the University of Oregon to finish the final two years of his college basketball career.

Once a top-50 recruit, Woods ran into trouble while attending Wake Forest. He was dismissed from the team and school last October because of a domestic assault incident.

He is looking for a fresh start, and hopes Eugene, Oregon is a good place to try to find that new beginning. What will Woods' arrival mean to the Oregon Ducks' team?

For starters, Woods (6'11") will add length to an undersized roster.

Joevan Catron (6'6", 245), Oregon's top scorer and rebounder, was a senior last year. Out of the returning players from last season, the next three rebounders—Singler (6'6"), Nared (6'8") and Jacob (6'8")—lack size to bang in the middle.

Woods also will add athleticism on the Ducks frontcourt.

Coming out of high school, he was described as an "extremely explosive jumper." He "changes shots on the defensive end and really pursues the ball when he is rebounding" and "his rebounding and dunks are reminiscent of Dwight Howard."

Woods could also become a consistent double-double threat for second-year Oregon coach Dana Altman.

At Wake Forest, during his sophomore season, he averaged 4.6 points and 3.2 rebounds per game in just 13 minutes of playing time per game.

Woods may never turn into the force that he was projected to be coming out of high school.

Even if he can only recapture some of his dominance, he will be a huge (no pun intended) addition to the Oregon roster, and may help the Ducks enter the upper tier of the inaugural Pac-12 standings.